PennDOT, Police Kick Off Aggressive- Driving Enforcement

PennDOT and the Pennsylvania State Police have joined together to announce a five-day Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (HEAT) initiative on Pennsylvania’s U.S. 30 corridor from the Ohio border to New Jersey border.

The “HEAT on 30” enforcement will continue through July 19 and is part of a statewide crackdown on aggressive-driving behaviors such as speeding, tailgating and running red lights.

“Even one fatality is one too many,” said Thomas A. Prestash, P.E., district executive of PennDOT’s Engineering District 9. “We support what the police are doing to crack down on aggressive drivers, especially within the highway safety corridor here in Somerset County and hope that through their efforts, drivers will come to realize that speeding and neglecting to wear a seat belt is dangerous, not only during this fiveday enforcement period, but all year long.”

The U.S. 30 corridor, which is roughly 350 miles long, has seen nearly 9,800 crashes and 96 fatalities since 2008. In Somerset, Bedford and Fulton counties, along U.S. 30, there have been 1,643 reported crashes, resulting in 17 fatalities since 2008.

As part of the enforcement, state police will conduct aerial enforcement by using the PSP helicopter to help officers pinpoint aggressive drivers. Police across the state will also be looking for those driving aggressively through work zones and may use Operation Yellow Jacket to crack down on speeders. Local police will aid in the enforcement effort on U.S. 30 and on roadways connecting to U.S. 30.

The statewide enforcement wave continues until Aug. 15 and is funded by part of PennDOT’s $2.5 million investment of federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.